The badlands are south of the airport, across hwy 78, and east of split mountain road. If you have been in this area, you know what a unique natural wonder it is.

A land developer has recently purchased 1280 acres which includes all of the badlands. This person attempted to develop a new golf course in Borrego, but the Borrego Water District would not allow him to install seven 15 inch wells. So he has come to Ocotillo Wells.

Since July 2005 he has cut the top off of one of the highest peaks east of ocotillo wells, to create a building pad, and graded a road to the pad. I have talked to San Diego County and they say this work was done without permits. He did pull a permit for one well, which is now installed.

I would like to propose that this area be purchased and included in the ohra. Should this person begin grading for building pads and roads in the badlands, and punching more wells for a golf course, the badlands will be forever ruined, and the cost of the land will become unaffordable.

How can he do this w/o permits??
Purchasing this by state might make it offlimits to green sticker but that would be better than a Golf course.
OW residents, i wonder if there for or against this? I would think there against since you live out there to get away from the Hustle.
To ruin that area would be a shame.

I am not sure where to start but I will certainly like to see something happen to stop this guy. I have enjoyed riding in this area for about 20 years and would like to see my children and grandchildren enjoy it as well. I do know an owner in Ocotillo and will see what he knows about the area's feeling on this development. If we need to start a petition, I will be happy to help aquire signatures. The more people we have involve the more power we will have.

Well everyone, I have some recent and updated information regarding this topic. I met and spoke to the owner of this property this weekend, actually yesterday when we rode through his newly aquired property.

First, per my discussions with him, there will not be a golf course built on this land. He did not purchase all of the Badlands either. The owners name is Alan. He bought 1,500 acres which encompasses 2.5 miles south from Highway 78 and 1.5 miles wide. He did purchase the northwest portion of the Badlands, but not all of the Badlands. The top of the hill that he flattened was where the cross was located before you drop into Little Blow Sand. He is going to build a house there. He did relocate the cross to a hilltop below, off his property.

He has begun fencing off the property. He complained that people have already cut the fence in a couple of locations that have blocked well established trails. He said he was going to replace the fencing with a block wall. I thought to myself, being a Contractor, yeah right, just wait until he figures out how much that is going to cost to construct. I told him that my family has been going out there for 33 years and it was unfortunate to see these major routes being blocked. He said to enjoy it while we can because we only have about another 6 months before it is closed off. He has bulldosed a road up to the pad and from North to South through the property. The house pad has a wonderful 360 degree view of the entire desert.

He stated that he is going to be farming figs, grapefruit and he is going to build a fish farm on the property. A fish farm in the middle of the desert? I guess he likes boiled fish during the summer.

I can appreciate and understand the gentleman purchasing the property and fencing it off. What I do not agree with is blocking off and/or destroying major trails that have been establised for decades or enclosing points of interest that have been around for decades, i.e. Little Blow Sand and the northwest portion of the Badlands. If it were me, I would definitely not do this knowing it is a well established OHV area.

Now, I don't know if this person has pulled permits for any of the roadway grading he has done or the grading of the pad on top of the hill. He should have been required to submit plans, get approvals, pull permits and get the areas surveyed and staked for the kind of grading work that has been done, so far. I did not see any survey stakes yesterday, and we drove up and down both roads. That would have to be done through the County of San Diego. Also, I would be interested to know if there were any required easements on that property that he may now be blocking. I know with my parents 10 acres off Split Mountain, they had to provide an easement road to get to adjacent properties next to them and behind them. I might do some research into this with the County.

I'll keep you all posted on any info. I find out from the County or next time I am out there, which will be New Years.

Yeah we have encountered this guy many times. And he threatened us with a shotgun and we didnt even mean to go on his land. the backside of his land hadnt been blocked off yet and before we knew it we were blocked in by fencing and when we were looking for a way around it and out of it he caught up to us and got out of his truck with a shotgun! it was scary.!!!!! this guy thinks he can make it into another palms spring but people arent going to want to go to a golf course in the middle of an off-road park!!!!

Water is in very short supply in the Borrego Valley. That is why he was unable to build his golf course. I would think the best thing to do is exactly what you are doing. Advise the county of the work. provide pictures if you can. Also it may be helpful to contact some of the ORBAs, CORBAs, etc. Any group that may have an attorney available and can look into a the laws that say that if a route is established, I believe for the last 8 years is the requirement, that it CAN NOT be blocked and must remain a right of way for the established users.

I know this because a trail was on the most recent property that I bought and I was advised by MY lawyer that if anyone complained I would have to allow the access on my PRIVATE PROPERTY. I could fence either side of it, but I had to leave the trail open. It's been 9 years and no complaints so I'm good, but I think this should be moved on quickly so as the statute of limitations regarding time frame does not run out.

Wait a second here. If the guy bought the land, it BELONGS TO HIM. It is his PRIVATE PROPERTY. He's exercising his right and privilege on his own land. I doubt that any of you (us) want anyone telling us what we can and cannot do on our own property.

That said, he must still abide by all of the requirements for development applicable there: local, state, and federal. Sounds like permits are in order for the things people are saying he wants to do on it. If he obtains the permits he can do it.

crash wrote:... I was advised by MY lawyer that if anyone complained I would have to allow the access on my PRIVATE PROPERTY. I could fence either side of it, but I had to leave the trail open.

This rings a bell. I know there have been court decisions regarding access across private property to get to public property. I know it has been an issue along our beaches for as long as I can remember in CA. There was one recently, I think, regarding a desert area, too. It only allows access - you can't stay and play on the private land.

I heard he paid around 450k for his first purchase of 640 acres, which was around 2004 if I remember correctly.

I've also heard he is currently charged with assault with a firearm for shooting at a motorcyclist. Not sure if that is true.

As to locals like/dislike of this guy and his actions, the ones I know squarely fall in the dislike category - an I mean severely, and personally.

Another local word is that currently his activities are red flagged by the county because of his failure to pull permits for his grading the tops off of hills, building roads without engineering, and building damns that block water flow down canyons without engineering.

This does not include his bulldozing hundreds of ocotillo plants, and obliterating the graves that were under the cross at the top of his highest hill. (moving the cross does not move the grave by the way) Ask any local that has been around a while about the cross.

So, this guy from "wisdom ministries" is clearly in the camp of "god gave me the land and I can destroy it if I want to."

My original suggestion was to get a group together to buy him out, not tell him where to go with his land. He is surely a speculator at heart and given a nice profit would probalby go away. However, undoing the damage he has caused will have to wait until the next ice age.

Why would you or anyone else wnat to provide this idiot with the capital to go and do this type of thing again just down the road? What's done is done. Let the guy take his whipping and hopefully the property will end up being sold at auction. THEN maybe an OHV group can get it added to the park......for a reasonable price.

It is....was..... definitely cool to ride in this area. I don't know the facts, but if what is being stated on this thread, i.e. this guy carved up the topo without a permit which requires an EIR from the County............then why isn't the County all over this guy. If there is known arch remains.........this guy should be toast

The real egalitarians are not the people who want to redistribute wealth to the poor, but those who want to extend to the poor the ability to create their own wealth, to lift themselves up, instead of trying to tear others down. Earning respect, including self-respect, is better than being a parasite. Thomas Sowell

ya - he probably is - i havnt called the county lately to find out though

if you refer to the latest issue of Borrego Sun, the county inspector in charge of Borrego Valley said he has to drive with blinders on to avoid seeing all the violations out there - and he said the county has no funds to pursue any of these - they cant even afford to send an inspector out there

Where's the environmentalists screaming for his neck? Land development (cutting the pad), however so small usually get's their attention real fast, i.e. it upsets the eco system. I guess county and enviros have to put their rocks in a can where they can shake and make the most noise.

The real egalitarians are not the people who want to redistribute wealth to the poor, but those who want to extend to the poor the ability to create their own wealth, to lift themselves up, instead of trying to tear others down. Earning respect, including self-respect, is better than being a parasite. Thomas Sowell

The problem is WE are the environmentalists. WE'RE the ones that are truly worried about places staying as they are. The eco-capatilists are only worried about fights that get headlines and close off tens of thousands of acres and make them BIG $$$s. Pretty ironic really.

Wow, Our family have been Offroaders and landowners in ocotillo wells for 20+years...it's pretty funny how upset everyone is getting about the guy who bought 1000 acres +....as a landowner we can appreciate his frustration but as desert junkies we hate that we can't ride those areas anymore either. But NEWSFLASH people that's PRIVATE PROPERTY, we've all been trespassing for years riding on those lands...Ocotillo Wells Off Road Vehicle Park is across the street (all 84000+ acres of it) but the typical "I've ridden here forever" think they're ENTITLED TO RIDING ON LAND THAT'S NOT THEIRS WHY??? What makes you think you should be able to ride on someone elses land even after it's fenced??? If this land purchase was in Ranchita or Warner or Ysabel nobody would sneeze or think anything of it...but because it's across from the PARK everyone thinks it's theirs to ride on...and yeah the bummer is that it's fenced but that's his perogative and that's what the boys in IRAQ are fighting for our freedom and rights... Interestingly enough an offroad group approached the Park to try and get them to buy that land and guess what the Park said "Ahhh I guess we missed out again, the superintendent of the OWSVRA PARK said oh it's not a good time"...well there goes 1000 acres of offroading land that the park had AMPLE TIME TO BUY BUT CHOSE NOT TO .. Many off road groups have known about these properties for a long time way before that guy bought it.The County says "Oh we have money to buy land but when the opportunity presents itself they never step up". There's been 1000's of acres for sale for years but all the "offended" riders never seem to FALL OFF their wallets AND "band" together and buy it up. And the guy who bought all that land hasn't demo'd plants etc. He's mainly made roads and berms and yeah it sucks what he did to the cross but get over it he moved it but didn't destroy it.. And for the guys calling out the ECO guys what are you nuts? They hate offroaders. Why would you want the tree huggers to come out and start a fight with a guy who is doing what he's entitled to do "improve or whatever" his OWN property OR START MESSING WITH THE OFFROAD PARK like they're already trying to do with the possible future loss of land for Geothermal wells....
Now, if he was grading and making an offroad park or track you guys would all be jolly. But because he won't let you on HIS LAND that he paid HIS OWN MONEY you all have to whine...You've ALL HAD A CHANCE TO BUY LAND IN OCOTILLO WELLS. THERE'S BEEN LAND FOR SALE FOR EVER IN OCOTILLO WELLS...SO quit your whining. America is the land of Entitlement..." you all think you're entitled to things that don't belong to you nor have you earned".....SO BREAK OUT YOUR OWN CASH AND BUY YOUR OWN PIECE OF LAND AND TELL US HOW MUCH YOU LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE START TRESPASSING AND DESTROYING YOUR STUFF and make sure you all get your permits since you're all inspectors now.....then You have an Opinion ....If you really want to do something join ORBA or one of those groups that are trying to keep OFF ROAD VEHICLE PARKS ALIVE AND NOT TAKEN OVER BY THE GOVERNMENT AND TREE HUGGERS and leave private property owners alone. Do something PROACTIVE NOT REACTIVE....

desertlover wrote: ....If you really want to do something join ORBA or one of those groups that are trying to keep OFF ROAD VEHICLE PARKS ALIVE AND NOT TAKEN OVER BY THE GOVERNMENT AND TREE HUGGERS and leave private property owners alone. Do something PROACTIVE NOT REACTIVE....

Um, NEWS FLASH......you are posting on the BBS of one of the most proactive off road groups there is!!!

Funny, I thought the criminal who destroyed the desert lands out in Ocotillo would either be behind bars, broke, or moved on to Nebraska by now. Appears he is alive and well and now posting on our forum. Here's to hoping you are either behind bars, broke, or moved on to some other state in the near future.

And BTW, it IS legal for people who have used private property to access other areas previously to continue to use it indefinitely. It is also ILLEGAL for a property owner to attempt to close it off after such use is established. It's called a PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENT. Look it up!!

"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end"

desertlover wrote: .....SO BREAK OUT YOUR OWN CASH AND BUY YOUR OWN PIECE OF LAND AND TELL US HOW MUCH YOU LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE START TRESPASSING AND DESTROYING YOUR STUFF and make sure you all get your permits since you're all inspectors now.....then You have an Opinion ....

Glad to know that, according to you, I have a valid opinion.

That said, I will tell you from first hand experience, that people walking accross, or even driving accross, a piece of land does virtually NOTHING when compared to just a few days of work by heavy equipment. That land out there was largely intact until you......I mean someone.....started fencing things off and bringing in the bulldozers.

desertlover wrote: And for the guys calling out the ECO guys what are you nuts? They hate offroaders. Why would you want the tree huggers to come out and start a fight with a guy who is doing what he's entitled to do "improve or whatever" his OWN property OR START MESSING WITH THE OFFROAD PARK like they're already trying to do with the possible future loss of land for Geothermal wells....

You are barking up the wrong tree if you think we off-roaders don't share many of the eco-freaks "tree hugging" philosophies. We just have different motivation. We want to be allowed to continue to use our lands and pass the ability to experience what we have to our future generations. While the eco-capitalists just want to attain MONEY AND POWER!!

Quit sticking up for a CRIMINAL who has ILLEGALLY scarred the face of the earth!!

desertlover, sounds like you have an ax to grind with off-roaders. If one might ask, what kind of off roading do you and your family do? As informed as you are, how much land on the South side of the State Park and BLM land is privately owned and what is for sale?

Also, I would highly doubt that the State would buy any of that land if it were to come available, unless it was of specific value to the State, which I doubt it is.

The real egalitarians are not the people who want to redistribute wealth to the poor, but those who want to extend to the poor the ability to create their own wealth, to lift themselves up, instead of trying to tear others down. Earning respect, including self-respect, is better than being a parasite. Thomas Sowell